Teachers want another change in HSC exam timetable

SummaryFollowing a second change in the HSC board examination timetable, junior college teachers have demanded the economics paper be deferred to allow biology students breathing space.

Following a second change in the HSC board examination timetable, junior college teachers have demanded the economics paper be deferred to allow biology students breathing space.

After pressure from parents, teachers and students, the state board issued a circular on January 17 rescheduling the chemistry exam from February 27 to March 26 and the biology exam from March 4 to March 17.

Two weeks later, it issued another circular deferring the maths paper from March 1 to March 4 and the economics paper from March 4 to March 17.

Junior college teachers and students are now claiming taking biology and economics exams the same day would be tough for students.

“Students who opted for general or easy maths in class X cannot opt for maths in junior college commerce or science. It is mandatory for science students to take economics and for commerce students to opt for secretarial practice. Students who have opted for economics will have to take the economics exam in the morning and biology exam in the afternoon. Moreover, March 17 is a Sunday and there will be a megablock (on suburban railway),” said professor R Bhuvaneshvari of SIWS College in Wadala.

Another teacher of a Bandra college said, “We have demanded the economics exam be postponed to March 10.”

A senior official of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education said, “We changed the timetable twice to help students. We cannot keep on changing it.”

Bhuvaneshwari said, “At SIWS, we have 15 students who have opted for both economics and biology. Most colleges have such students. The board should have considered this before making the timetable.”

Despite several attempts Sarjerao Jadhav, board chairman, could not be reached for comment.